Football linesmen&#39;s marker poles



Sept. 19, 1967 E. SEXTON 3,342,157

FOOTBALL LINESMEN'S MARKER POLES Filed Oct. 21, 1965 Add 35 HUM W N. P"

C) 23 /Z0 i i 42 4 INVENTOR.

" EDWARD ssxrolv A TTORNEYS United States Patent 3,342,157 FOOTBALL LINESMENS MARKER POLES Edward Sexton, Gowanda, N.Y., assignor to Granite Merchandising Corporation, Gowanda, N.Y. Filed Oct. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 499,822 6 Claims. (Cl; 116-114) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to football yardage markerapparatus :and in particular to a linesmens chain set for use in the game of football. a

As those familiar with the game of football are well aware, a linesmens chain set comprises three poles held by linesmen and movably positioned along the sidelines of the playing field. Customarily, two marker poles are spaced along the sidelines and connected by a chain ten yards long, thereby indicating the distance to be gained by a team in four downs. A third markerpole is used .by the chief lines-man and is positioned along the sidelines to indicate the position of the ball at a particular time. The three marker poles are stuck into the ground "and as the game continues, are repeatedly removed to various positions along the sidelines of the playing field. The position of the teams on the playing field relative to the marker poles plays a very important role. in determining the course andoutcome of thegame. Therefore, it is extremely important that the marker poles be accurately positioned relative to the field and that such accuracy be maintained. Oftentimes, the football players will run adjacent to or across the position where the linemens poles and the chief linesmans indicatorare being used .and it is necessary for these officials to move out quickly, either carrying the marker poles with them or letting them fall to the ground in order to avoid injury to either players .or linesmem In either case, the marker poles are withdrawn from the ground and the indication of the marked position is lost.

To avoid the obvious difficulties in re-establishing marked positions once the marker poles have been removed and to avoid possible injury-to players and linesmen, it is an object of the present invention to provide a marker pole which may be removed from a given position and later re-established in the identical marked position. l

Itis an object of the present invention to provide a movable game marker device consisting of a marker pole have a spike at its lower end adapted for insertion in the ground and detachably connected to the pole so that a linesman, by a simple manipulation, may remove the pole from the spike, leaving the spike stuck in the ground to indicate the marked position. The linesmen may later readily re-connect the pole to the spike while the spike still marks the desired point, for re-establishing the marker pole at the marked position.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a game marker apparatus having a marker pole and a detachable spike having means urging the spike gripping means on the pole into a spike engaging position wherein the pole and spike are utilized as a single unit for insertion and withdrawal of the spike at various marked positions along the ground.

It is another object of the present invention to provide ,a game marker device having a spike for insertion into the ground and a detachable marker pole wherein the marker pole may be removed from the inserted spike and re-attached thereto, by a novel mechanical gripping device on the marker pole without the necessity of the linesman stooping over to remove the spike from the ground, the assembled apparatus then being removable from the ground by raising the pole to withdraw the spike therefrom.

Various other novel details of construction and advantages inherent in the linesman pole apparatus of the present invention are pointed out in detail in conjunction with the following description of a typical embodiment of the invention. While one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described in the following specification it is to beunderstood that such embodiment is by way of example only and to illustrate the principles of the present invention, the scope of which is limited only as defined in the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a vertical longitudinal cross sectional view of one form of apparatus of the present invention showing an elongate marker pole assembled with a position indicator or spike; and

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the pole member.

Referring now to the drawing, the reference numeral 1 designates an upright elongate marker pole, in the present instance of tubular form, and the numeral 2 indicates generally a separable base portion or spike memher. The base portion 2 comprises a disc 3 and an inte gral depending pointed stem 4, the disc having the lower or underside thereof adapted to abut the ground or playing surface generally indicated by the letter G. The periphery of disc 3 slopes downwardly and inwardly as at 5 to facilitate gripping engagementwith the marker memher, as will presently appear.

The marker pole 1 is of the usual length and the indicator pole used by the head linesman may have, at the top thereof, an indicator, not shown, for visual display to the ofli-cials, players and spectators of the various facets of the football game usually in the nature of a down indicator or a yardage marker. A lug 7 is secured adjacent the lower end of the two chain poles and is adapted for connection with a chain which suitably spaces the chain posts.

A hearing member 8 is rigidly secured to the lower end of pole 1 as by welding. The bearing member 8 and the lower end of pole 1 present a smooth, continuous surface at the underside thereof for seating engagement against the flat upper side of disc 3. A plug 9 is secured within the lowerend of tubular pole 1 and projects downwardly beyond the lower surface of pole 1 and bearing 8 in the form of a cone, the apex of which forms the lowermost portion of pole 1.

The disc 3 has an indentation in the top thereof in the shape of an inverted cone for complementarily receiving the cone portion of plug 9. The marker member pole 1, when separated from the ground-embedded spike, may then be centered relative to and directly over the spike with the elongated marker extending vertically upwards therefrom by inserting the cone portion of plug 9 into the indentation in the spike, thereby aligning the gripping means of pole 1 with the disc 3.

Bearing member 8 includes, in the preferred form, three circumferentially spaced bifurcations 11 for receiving pivoted levers or gripping members designated generally 17. Pins 15 pivot levers 17 to the bifurcations 11.

Each lever 17 has a gripping finger 18 extending below the pivotal connection thereof and below the flat continuous surface of the underside of the bearing member for gripping the periphery of disc 3 of spike member 2. Each finger 18 has an inwardly and downwardly extending interior face 19 for secure gripping engagement with the inclined periphery 5 of disc 3. Each of the levers 17 has an upper portion 20 extending inwardly toward the axis of pole 1. Pole 1 has three circumferentially spaced vertically extending slots 23 which register with and receive the upper ends 20 of levers 17.

The tubular pole 1 has a pair of diametrally spaced vertically extending slots 29 in its mid portion. A sleeve 31 is slidable on pole 1 and a transverse pin 33 passing through slots 29 and connecting between opposite sides of sleeve 31 positions sleeve 31 and limits its sliding movement.

A vertically extending rod 35 having an enlarged upper end 34 is disposed within the tubular pole 1 and pin 33 which passes therethrough. Upper end 34 has a reduced diameter portion 36 wich receives the lower end of a compression coil spring 37 which, at its upper end, abuts a transverse pin 38 extending thruogh pole 1. Coil spring 37 biases rod 35 and sleeve 31 in a downward direction. Rod 35 extends downwardly to a point adjacent the lower slots 23 and terminates in an enlarged downwardly facing frusto-conical cam or wedge member 40. The conical surface of cam 40 bears against the inner surfaces of upper portions 20 of the levers 17, such surfaces being biased inwardly by compression coil springs 42 which seat in facing recesses in levers 17 and bearing 8 below the pivots of the levers. Downward motion of the rod 35 earns the levers 17 about their pivotal connections outwardly against the bias of coil springs 42. Such movement appears, in FIG. 1, as a clockwise movement of lever 17. Upon upward motiion of the rod 35, the springs 42 urge levers 17 in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1.

The operation of the apparatus of the present invention will now be described. Assuming that the gripping fingers 18 are in the engaged position and connect the marker pole 1 and spike member 2 together, the marker apparatus is ready for use in the usual manner, both as to the two poles connected by a ten yard chain and the separate indicator pole used by the head linesman.

When, in the course of a scrimmage, the players approach the sidelines near the linesmen and there appears the danger that the linesmen will be overrun, each linesman needs only to raise the sleeve 31 of the marker pole 1 against the relatively light bias of spring 37 in order to release the pole member from the spike member. By sliding sleeve 31 upwards, cam 40 raises and frees the levers 17 whose upper portions pivot inwardly under the biasing force of the springs 42, thereby causing the fingers 18 to release the disc 3 of the spike member. Thus the linesman is able to immediately disconnect the marker pole from the spike member and speedily leave the danger area, leaving the spike member in place in the ground to indicate the vacated position of the pole.

When the marker pole is to be re-established in marking position the linesman merely inserts the plug 9 thereof into the corresponding indentation in the top surface of the spike member with the sleeve 31 raised, thus aligning the marker member with said spike member, and moves the sleeve 31 downwardly whereby the gripping fingers 18 4 are forced into gripping engagement with the disc 3 of the spike 2.

For clarity of illustration major portions of pole 1 are broken away in FIG. 1 and, while dimensions are not critical, in order to establish the general proportions of the illustrated embodiment it may be stated that the pole 1 is between six and seven feet in overall length and the sleeve 31 is located approximately four feet from the lower end of the pole.

Having thus described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that such description and illustration is by way of example only and that many modifications and changes which may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art may fall within the scope of the present invention which is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Game marker means comprising, in combination, a pole, a ground engaging spike member, and means for quick securing and releasing of the lower end of said pole to and from said spike member, said spike member comprising a relatively fiat head for engagement against the ground surface and a depending ground piercing portion, whereby said spike member may be left in ground engagement to serve as a position indicator when said pole is detached and removed therefrom.

2. Means according to claim 1 wherein said quickrelease detachable securement means comprises gripping means at the lower end of said pole for selectively gripping the marginal portion of said spike member head.

3. Means according to claim 1 having manual means on said pole remote from the lower end thereof for operating said quick-release detachable securement means.

4. Means according to claim 1 wherein said pole is tubular and an operating rod extends upwardly within said pole from said detachable securement means, said rod being movable lengthwise within said pole and having means for effecting disconnection of said detachable securement means, and manual means at an upper portion of said rod for moving the latter selectively lengthwise of said pole to operate said detachable securement means.

5. Means according to claim 2 wherein said pole is tubular and an operating rod extends upwardly within said pole means at the lower end of said rod operatively engaging said gripping means, and manual means on said pole substantially above said gripping means for engaging said rod to move the same lengthwise relative to said pole to operate said gripping means.

6. Means according to claim 4 wherein said quick-release detachable securement means includes arm means pivotally secured adjacent the lower end of said pole to engage said spike member and wherein said disconnection means includes cam means on the lower end of said rod engaging said arm means for pivoting same between spike member engaged and disengaged positions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 879,052 2/ 1908 Jeranek 248l.5 6 X 1,999,925 4/ 1935 Buzhardt 248-15 6 3,213,824 10/1965 Jenkins l16-1l4 JOHN PETO, Primary Examiner. 

1. GAME MARKER MEANS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A POLE, A GROUND ENGAGING SPIKE MEMBER, AND MEANS FOR QUICK SECURING AND RELEASING OF THE LOWER END OF SAID POLE TO AND FROM SAID SPIKE MEMBER, SAID SPIKE MEMBER COMPRISING A RELATIVELY FLAT HEAD FOR ENGAGEMENT AGAINST THE GROUND SURFACE AND A DEPENDING GROUND PIERCING PORTION, WHEREBY SAID SPIKE MEMBER MAY BE LEFT IN GROUND ENGAGEMENT TO SERVE AS A POSITION INDICATOR WHEN SAID POLE IS DETACHED AND REMOVED THEREFROM. 